A typical consumer makes several purchases every week. The purchase may be routine, such as a bus fare to get to work, or more complex, such as the purchase of a new car. The consumer may spend seconds or days making the purchase depending on the item. Regardless of the amount of time spent, the typical consumer would prefer a quick and easy method for making the purchase.
When the consumer finds an item that they are interested in purchasing, the consumer may not want to make the purchase immediately. The consumer may want to do some comparison shopping before making the purchase or delay the purchase until funding is available to make the purchase. This may require the consumer to visit the same store multiple times. It is possible that the price of the item will change between store visits.
When the consumer makes repeated purchases, such as for public transportation, the typical consumer prefers a method of payment that allows for a one-time payment for multiple purchases. For example, a customer that uses public transportation to commute to work may be able to purchase a multiple ride ticket or a monthly ride ticket. For toll roads, a customer may be able to use an electronic transponder that deducts the toll expense from a user account associated with a credit card.
The consumer may make purchases that are obvious based on the location of the consumer. For example, if a consumer goes to the ticket counter at the zoo it is likely that the consumer is there to purchase a ticket to enter the zoo. This may be true of other locations, such as museums, train stations, movies, parking lots, and park entrances.
The typical consumer pays for these purchases using cash or credit cards. Other forms of payment, such as checks, debit cards, and smart cards, may also be used. These methods typically require the consumer to wait in line to make the purchase. Long lines can be frustrating and a method of payment that eliminates the time to make a purchase is beneficial to both the customer and the merchant.
Many consumers carry electronic devices, such as a mobile phone or a personal digital assistant (PDA). The use of the electronic device to make purchases has become an attractive alternative to the use of cash, checks, and credit cards for payment. The electronic device may provide a secured means to make purchases. The electronic device may transmit payment information, such as encrypted credit card account information, to a point-of-sale (POS) terminal. The POS terminal may transmit a digital receipt to the electronic device. This transfer of payment information and digital receipt may be performed remotely.
It would be desirable to use the electronic device to make a delayed purchase based on a previous store or Web page visit or purchase. The information needed to make the purchase may be stored on the electronic device until the consumer is ready to make the purchase. The consumer may return to the store or Web page to make the purchase.
It would be desirable to use the electronic device to make a routine purchase. The electronic device may be preauthorized to make routine purchases, such as public transportation, reducing the amount of time it takes to complete a purchase.
It would also be desirable to use the electronic device to make an obvious purchase. Based on the location of the consumer, the identity of the consumer, and the detection of a point of entry, the purchase may be inferred. The electronic device may pay an entrance fee when it detects the point of entry.